Work together for the Winter Olympics, unite for the future

Pictured: Slovenian alpine skiers at the men's downhill downhill race on Feb. 7. Photo by Yi Xiao, reporter of this newspaper: On February 7, the ceremony of awarding gifts for the figure skating team competition of the Beijing Winter Olympics was held at the Capital Gymnasium. Russian Olympic Committee athletes pose for a group photo at the ceremony. Photo by Liu Xiao, Xinhua News Agency: On February 7, the final of men's slope steeplechase in the snowboarding event of the Beijing Winter Olympics was held at the Genting Ski Park in Zhangjiakou. The picture shows the Norwegian players in the competition. Photo by Xu Chang, Xinhua News Agency: Athletes train in the "ice ribbon" of the National Speed Skating Hall. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Wei

The Beijing Winter Olympics ignited the world's enthusiasm for ice and snow sports. During the pre-competition preparation and operation of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, many foreign experts participated in it. They highly recognized China's green Olympic concept, actively played a guiding and consulting role in event organization and track construction, and made their own contributions to presenting a "simple, safe and wonderful" sports event. In this process, they also deeply witnessed China's development and felt China's vigorous vitality.

"I am proud of Beijing"

Since the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the competitions have been in full swing, and the Hungarian expert Lazlo Vajda, who is involved in the daily scheduling, has become even busier. He traveled back and forth between the three divisions to help improve transportation support services everywhere. "We need to fine-tune some of the connection points and schedules based on the operation of the site and everyone's feedback." Laszlo said.

Since joining the Hungarian Olympic Committee in 1991, Laszlo has been engaged in the preparation and operation of sports events. At this Winter Olympic Games, as a special expert of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, he is mainly responsible for formulating catering and transportation protection plans to ensure the smooth connection of all links.

"Beijing is the only city in the world that has hosted both the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics, and I am proud of beijing." As early as 2005, Laszlo came to China to participate in the international communication work of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Since then, he has stayed in China and participated in the preparation of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou and the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.

"The event is well organized", "It feels great to be in the Winter Olympic Village", "It feels safe and secure everywhere you go"... Since the start of the competition, athletes from many countries and regions have shared similar feelings, praising the organization and operation of the event and the Winter Olympic Village. These recognitions were a great relief to Laszlo. He said that participating in the preparation and operation of the Beijing Winter Olympics has brought him a new experience, "The docking between the various departments of the Winter Olympic Organizing Committee is efficient and smooth, ensuring a high level of service for athletes." ”

He especially praised the closed-loop management measures of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee. He said that at a time when the epidemic is still spreading, strict epidemic prevention measures have helped the event to be held safely.

Having worked and lived in China for nearly 17 years, Laszlo has witnessed the rapid development of China's economy and society. "Over the years, China has undergone tremendous changes in all aspects and is embracing the world with an increasingly open attitude." In his view, the Winter Olympics will leave a rich cultural heritage for China, and driving more people to participate in ice and snow sports is an important part of it.

In the more than 30 years of participating in the preparation and operation of sports events, Laszlo's work documents have hung in the corner of his office, among which he cherishes the work documents of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which is an important witness to his fate with Beijing.

"Every time I come here, I see a delightful change"

Wrapped in silver, "Snow Flying Swallow" is like a silver exercise, witnessing the wonderful performance of Winter Olympic athletes. Looking out from the summit departure area of Beijing Yanqing National Alpine Ski Center, 7 ski trails wind down, and between distant peaks, the cable car runs methodically on 9 aerial ropeways, connecting the Yanqing Winter Olympic Village and the various areas of the Alpine Ski Center.

Safe maintenance of ropeways, inspection of components, troubleshooting... These days, Kristen Wilhelm, a German project engineer at Doppelmayer Ropeway GmbH, frequently travels to and from the various operating points of the National Alpine Ski Center.

"The ropeway is one of the main modes of transportation connecting the competition area and the Winter Olympic Village, and the maintenance of the ropeway can ensure the transportation efficiency to the greatest extent." William told reporters.

Doppelmayad GmbH provides the National Alpine Ski Centre with the technology and equipment for all nine aerial ropeways. Since 2018, As the main engineer of the project, William has visited Yanqing many times to investigate the terrain of the arena, repeatedly survey and map, and formulate a ropeway construction plan. Since 2020, he has been stationed in Yanqing Racing District and has devoted himself to a series of work such as the construction and commissioning of the ropeway.

The National Alpine Ski Center has a steep mountainous terrain and complex site conditions, with a total length of 10.3 kilometers and a height difference of more than 1,000 meters. Despite his involvement in the erection of ropeways on many snow projects around the world, the construction of the ropeway system here was still challenging for William. "In order to complete the construction of the ropeway with a large height difference span in a shorter distance, the team carried out a complete program design, and we also got a lot of advice from the Chinese partners."

Witnessing the "Snow Flying Swallow" being built and formed in the high mountains and the surrounding supporting facilities becoming more and more perfect, William sincerely admired the work efficiency of the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee. "In the first year of construction, there was only one entrance, but soon the venue began to take shape. Every time I come here, I can see a gratifying change. What touched him most was that under the tight construction schedule, all parties involved in the construction have always united and worked together towards the goal of building high-quality venues, which is a vivid embodiment of 'together to the future'."

Seeing that during the construction of the ropeway, the vegetation of Little Haituo Mountain was restored, and the dense mountain forest became a beautiful scenery on the side of the track, William praised the environmental protection concept embodied in the construction of the site: "These practical measures fully demonstrate the concept of environmental friendliness and sustainable development. ”

Personally participating in the construction process of the Beijing Winter Olympic venues has made William's understanding of China more in-depth, "I am very proud to be able to participate in the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics with so many excellent partners." In the future, I hope to be able to participate in more sports venue projects in various parts of China and understand China more comprehensively. ”

"A great step in the field of ecological protection"

On February 5, the Beijing Winter Olympics speed skating competition was officially launched at the National Speed Skating Hall "Ice Ribbon". On the same day, The Netherlands' Irini Shaoten won the gold medal in the women's 3000m final of speed skating and broke the winter Olympic record of the project for 20 years; on the 6th, Sweden's Nils van der Poul won the championship in the men's 5000m of speed skating and broke the winter Olympic record; on the 7th, The Netherlands' Irene Worcester won the gold medal in the women's 1500m of speed skating. New records were born here, and wonderful games were played out here.

As the staff who witnessed these moments, Mark Maiser, an icemaker from Canada, and the venue ice team were pleased. From bottom plate cleaning and bottom ice pouring, to painting, drawing split lines by hand, to layering multiple ice pouring, etc., speed skating hall ice making consists of multiple processes. During Maxer's 35-year career in ice making, serving the "Ice Ribbon" was a very special and challenging experience. "The ice making process of the National Speed Skating Hall is different from all the previous speed skating rinks," maiser said, "Ice Ribbon" uses carbon dioxide transcritical direct cold ice making technology, which is the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics.

Carbon dioxide transcritical direct cold ice making technology is one of the research and development achievements of China's "Science and Technology Winter Olympics". The "Ice Ribbon" has a total of 12,000 square meters of full ice surface, and when running throughout the year, the use of carbon dioxide refrigerant can save more than 2 million kWh of electricity, which is equivalent to the carbon emission reduction achieved by about 1.2 million trees.

"Carbon dioxide as a 'natural refrigerant' protects the environment more effectively," Maiser said. In the past, the relevant technology was only applied to industrial scenarios, but now the application of this technology to skating rinks is a huge progress and a great step in the field of ecological protection. ”

At work, Maiser was deeply impressed by the diligence and excellence shown by young Chinese colleagues, "These young people are like the seeds of the development of ice and snow sports." Maiser said he believes that as more and more people participate in ice sports, China will produce more excellent ice makers.

Talking about this rare work experience, Maiser sighed that the Beijing Winter Olympics will bring people from different countries and regions and different skills together and unite. "That's what the Olympics are all about."

People's Daily ( 2022-02-08 11th edition)